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(No Model.)

E. M. RYAN.

BATH 0B FLESH BRUSH.

No. 431,486. Patented July 1, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWVARD M. RYAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK; JAMES M. RYAN ADMINIS- TRATOR OF SAID EDWARD M. RYAN, DECEASED.

BATH OR FLESH BRUSH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,486, dated July 1, 1890. Application filed August 2, 1888. Serial No. 281,826. (No model.)

To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. RYAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bath or Flesh Brushes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvementin flesh-brushes, the object being to provide a brush having bristles of different stiffness and so constructed and arranged that any portion of the body may be conveniently reached therewith, and which may be used with or without a handle, as desired.

With these ends in view my invention consists in forming a brush with bristles on either side of the body of different stiffness, and providing the body of such brush with a detachable and curved handle, whereby the said brush may be conveniently used for washing the different portions of the body, or the handle withdrawn in order that the brush may, when desired, be used without the handle, as in the case of an ordinary hand-brush. Heretofore double brushes have been made with a permanent handle of such character that the different portions of the body could not be conveniently reached. This and other objections urged against the brushes now in use have been entirely overcome byv my invention, which I have hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the wedgeshaped, detachable, curved, and reversible handle. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of my improved brush, showing in broken lines the handle and strap in reversed positions. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line as at; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the handle, taken 011 the line at m of Fig. 2.

WVith reference to the drawings, A represents the body of the brush, preferably made in two curved sections a b, glued or otherwise permanently secured together at their outer edges and having secured between them the wedge-shaped pieces 0 d, forming a wedge shaped opening or socket in the center of the brush-body for the insertion and retention of the handle B.

The body A is covered with soft bristles 6 upon one side and upon the other side with stiff bristles f. I do not limit my claim, however, to a brush having bristles of different stiffness, as a brush having bristles of a uni- 5- 5 form stiffness, but constructed as hereinafter described-viz., with a detachable and curved handle-has many advantages, and is a great improvement over the brushes now in use.

To the body A of the brush is secured the adjustable strap 0 by means of a metal loop 72., turning upon the pins or pivots 41, secured to the body A. By the employment of this strap the brush may be used as an ordinary hand-brush, and by arranging it to be turned or reversed either the soft or stiff bristles of the brush may be used or applied at pleasure.

The handle B is preferably made wedgeshaped, as shown in Fig. 1, and provided at its narrow end with a slit 70, whereby the han-- 7o dle may be tightly forced into and securely held in the socket formed in the body A, but allowed to be withdrawn or removed when desired. The handle is also curved in the direction of its length, in order that the different portions of the body may be conveniently reacl1edas, for instance, in washing the back between the shoulders the handle will be secured in the brush as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and in washing the lower part of the back the handle will be made to take the position as shown in full lines in Fig. 2-. By turning the brush upon the handle either stiff or soft bristles may be used upon the various parts of the body.

To more securely hold the handle in position when inserted in the body of the brush, I form the pieces 0 cl with rounded sides to fit within the grooves m, formed in the sides of the handle, as shown in Fig. 4; but this I feature may be omitted and the other minor features changed without departing from the spirit of my invention, the same consisting of and what I intend to claim being- 1. A bath or flesh brush constructed with bristles upon its opposite faces of different stiffnesses and with detachable,reversible,and curved handle, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. A bath or flesh brush constructed with bristles upon its opposite faces, the back of said brush being made in sections with an opening between them for the insertion and retention of a handle, substantially as set 10 forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 27th day of July, A. D. 1888.

EDWARD M. RYAN. Witnesses:

HERMAN GUsroW, W. A. C. MATTHIS. 

